A Leaf and a Wand
by Drachenheld
Summary: NarutoxHP Uchiha Sasuke has one final mission before joining ANBU: Protect Hogwarts and one Harry Potter. But who is this ANBU captain acting as his tutor? Why is he interested in our favorite emotional ice cube? Mild shounen-ai, but enjoyable without,too
1. Background Info & Mission

Summary: ANBU-in-training Uchiha Sasuke and his teacher, ANBU Commander 'Fox' are sent on a year-long mission to Hogwarts during Harry's fifth year. Loosely based on the book, but as I haven't read it for a few years, not a very close plot following. Some ideas may appear borrowed from the story "The ANBU and the Teacher" because I thought it was hilarious.

Warning: Language use and mild hints of shounen-ai. Don't let it scare you away, though, because it's not going anywhere...yet.

Disclaimer: I own neither Harry Potter nor Naruto. They belong to their respective author and manga-ka. Please don't sue me because I have no money anyway.

Chapter 1: A Little Background Info and the Beginning of the Mission

Uchiha Sasuke was sitting calmly on the side of his bed, contemplating his life. At the age of 9 he had graduated from the Academy and become a genin. He really had an amusing rivalry going with the 10-year-old, dead-last Uzumaki Naruto. It was actually kinda fun, but an Uchiha would never let anyone know. Then, 3 months after their graduation, Team Seven ran across Zabuza and Haku, rogue ninja and pupil. Kakashi-sensei had taken care of Zabuza, but Haku had virtually killed Sasuke. Then, the impossible occurred: Naruto managed to defeat Haku, a ninja carrying a powerful bloodline limit. Sasuke still had no idea what actually happened because he was unconscious, not to mention practically dead.

Six months later, at the chuunin exam, Orochimaru appeared. Sasuke had to admit he was fascinated by the legendary ninja's jutsu, so he decided to learn them for himself. He always 

knew that Orochimaru was just after his sharingan bloodline limit, but that didn't stop him. He realized that he was valuable to the rogue Sannin, which meant he was not likely to be killed unless he really pissed the snake ninja off. Some of the jutsu Sasuke learned during his stay at Orochimaru's hideout were rather demeaning and disgusting, but he learned many others that more than made up for a little discomfort.

After three years, Orochimaru decided Sasuke's body was ready for him to inhabit. Sasuke, never an unobservant idiot, quickly realized it was time to leave. Accordingly, he left. Even Orochimaru couldn't find the young ninja genius when said genius didn't want to be found. After leaving the Hidden Village of Sound, Orochimaru's stronghold, Sasuke resumed his lifelong hunt for his brother, Uchiha Itachi.

A month later, Sasuke found Itachi, but was not strong enough to fully match his older brother. Defeated and wounded, Sasuke was left on the scorched ground, convinced that his life was going to end. However, he was saved by an unexpected figure: a Konoha shinobi. Plus, not only was the ninja from Konoha, he was also a member of the ANBU, the elite assassination squad of the village. All Sasuke could remember of the ninja was a white porcelain mask, decorated crudely to resemble a fox. Then he fainted.

After being carried back to Konohagakure, the Hidden Leaf Village, his wounds were tended while the ANBU guarded his room. For the weeks he spent recovering, there was an ANBU in attendance at every moment, but never the ninja with the fox mask. The GodaimeHokage, Tsunade, reviewed his case. Although he had abandoned his home village, fraternized with an SS-Class enemy, and almost killed Naruto when the blond kid tried to stop him, Tsunade said that the ANBU with the fox mask had vouched for his conduct.

This astonished Sasuke: why would an older ninja, who most certainly remembered the day Itachi slaughtered his entire clan, trust him? After all, Sasuke _did_ do all the things he was accused of, and more besides. More a mystery was why the Hokage and council would be convinced by one man to allow such a renegade to live. However, they had made a decision, however grudgingly, and allowed him to remain in the village. There were precautions, of course, a kind of probation. However, as time passed, the restrictions eased.

And so it was, that Uchiha Sasuke, age 14 years old, last surviving member of his once-powerful clan (except his brother, who was never mentioned), regained enough of the villagers' trust to be allowed to apply for ANBU. He had already made it past the level of chuunin before returning, easily proving his capabilities in battle. Although the council was still wary of him, Tsunade convinced them to approve his promotion to jounin.

As he rose through the ranks, so did the Fox ANBU. Although he never caught sight of the ninja, he heard tales of the man. Apparently this ninja joined ANBU at the age of 13, which, although not unheard-of, was rather young. More surprisingly, however, was the speed at which he was promoted. After only a year, this certain ninja had not only achieved the rank of Captain, but had also become the supreme Commander of ANBU. Thus he was directly under the command of the Hokage and quite probably the second-strongest shinobi in the village.

As he contemplated these thoughts, Sasuke prepared himself mentally for the ANBU training he was about to receive. According to all he had heard, the final step for a jounin to become an ANBU was emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausting. Only ANBU Captains could approve the creation of a new ANBU member by requesting the jounin as a member of their squad. And the Captains were notoriously difficult to impress enough to do so.

Suddenly realizing he would have to hurry or be late for his audience with the Hokage, Sasuke leapt out of his bed, dressed in his jounin equipment, and headed out the door. Along the way, he found he would still be late even if he ran at top speed. Sasuke sighed. He had completed the teleportation jutsu only a week ago and was still shaky at it. Although he could generally make it work right, he was still a little inaccurate when it came to where he reappeared. However, he had no choice because Tsunade-sama was not well-known for her patience. Forming a handseal, Sasuke released his chakra and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

As he reappeared in the Hokage's office, he let out the breath he had been holding. He had managed to teleport to the right place. That should actually work as a plus for him. Then, as he oriented himself more closely, he noticed that Tsunade's face was a mixture of shock and amusement. Glancing around to see what it was, Sasuke finally noticed the man lying under his feet. He quickly leapt off, deducing that he must have teleported directly onto the man's back.

Only after he stepped off did he notice that the man he had been so blithely using as a footstool was clad in ANBU gear and had the ANBU membership tattoo on his left shoulder. 'Oh shit!' thought Sasuke. 'I teleported right onto the person I was trying to impress! Well, there go my chances at ANBU. I guess I'll have to reapply next year and hope I get accepted by a different Captain…Shit!'

The man grumbled something that did not sound very complimentary and slowly stood up. He was facing away from Sasuke and his mask was not visible. With a shock, Sasuke realized that he was actually about 8 inches taller than the Captain. As the ANBU was not wearing a cloak, Sasuke could see that he was short, slender, and lithe. All ANBU had to be in excellent physical shape, but this body was perfectly formed as well. The way it moved was as graceful as 

a hunting hawk. If Sasuke had had such a body a few years ago, Orochimaru wouldn't have waited to train him before taking over.

The man finally turned around. Sasuke just about fainted as he saw the mask: the Fox! He really thought he was dead. Not only had he knocked his potential Captain on his face and stood on his back (granted, it was an accident, but the ANBU didn't seem likely to know that or care), but the Captain turned out to be the Commander! 'Damn,' he thought. 'If he doesn't dismember me, I guess I should feel lucky. I'll be happy staying a jounin for the rest of my life as long as I get to keep all my limbs.'

Tsunade burst out laughing. "Haha, Fox! You should see yourself! Commander of all ANBU, ultimate assassin of the Hidden Leaf Village, knocked on your ass by a jounin!" She collapsed on her desk, cradling her head in her hands as she shook with laughter.

The ANBU was obviously not amused. He looked up at Sasuke and said scathingly, "Learn to land properly, or at least make sure you wind up on _her_ next time." He gestured with his chin toward the hysterical Hokage.

Tsunade abruptly stopped laughing and glared at her second-in-command. "Now that would be a disaster. The Hokage-sama can't be seen to damage her reputation by being stood on."

Sasuke cleared his throat as the Fox started to say something about a Hokage with skewed responsibilities. His two arguing superiors cut off in mid-tirade and looked at him. "I beg your pardon, taichou-sama. I was not aware there was anyone else in the room."

The Fox just snorted and said, "You can just go ahead and admit that you haven't quite mastered the technique."

Sasuke squirmed a little. He hadn't thought his lack of control was so painfully obvious. Apparently it was. He studied the ninja in front of him. The Fox didn't seem too dangerous at first glance, but a closer examination proved that his lazy posture and attitude was just for show. Although this man appeared to take everything as it came, Sasuke could sense a sharp alertness behind the animal mask. The mask itself was different from what he remembered: it was still obviously a fox, but the visage was sharper, more detailed, more easily identified, and much scarier. The fox looked like it was laughing carelessly at everything. That was way creepier than a snarl ever could be. The hair above the mask was a bright yellow reaching down to the shoulders. It was well-tended, but unruly, trying to stick out in all directions. Sasuke also caught a glimpse of blue eyes. All in all, the ANBU Commander struck Sasuke as a dangerous man: one that was easily underestimated.

Said Commander suddenly turned to Tsunade and said, "Hey, baa-chan, isn't it time we enlightened our new pupil? He probably should be informed about the mission."

Sasuke was even more confused than ever. First, the ANBU Commander seemed to have very little respect for the Hokage, then he called Sasuke 'our new pupil' which would seem to imply he was in training for something, and then he went and mentioned a mission. Sasuke had no idea what was happening anymore.

Tsunade yelled, "Don't call me 'baa-chan'!" Apparently this wasn't the first time he had called her that. "I was getting around to it!" She turned to Sasuke and continued in more reasonable tones. "I have received a mission request that requires the services of the Fox. As it is not a particularly dangerous assignment, we thought it would be a good chance to let you gain a little pre-ANBU experience. In addition, Fox has expressed his concern at leaving you alone in 

Konoha for an entire year. You may not be aware, but he has played a large role in convincing the council that you are no longer dangerous."

Sasuke thought for a moment. Apparently he was going to be accepted into ANBU despite the minor fiasco just a moment ago. He had already guessed that the Fox had continued to speak for his character even though he had no idea why. He agreed that a year without such support could quite possibly be enough to change the council's mind about an execution. However, why was the mission to last an entire year? And, more importantly, why was a 'not particularly dangerous' mission so vitally important as to require the ANBU Commander?

Sensing his thoughts, Tsunade nodded. "Yes, the mission may not be dangerous, but it so happens that only the Fox has the power to complete or even begin it." Sasuke was even more confused. "You will see what I mean soon enough," Tsunade continued. "For now, return to your home and prepare for the mission."

Sasuke bowed, and exited the room. He headed down the stairs mechanically, considering all that had happened. He had been accepted into ANBU by the Commander without a test of any sort. The Commander had been his invisible friend in the council since he had returned, and Sasuke still had no idea why. They were both to go on a not particularly dangerous mission that couldn't be completed by anyone except the Fox. Strange. All of it was very strange. Sasuke just shook his head and left to pack.

After packing his weapons, clothing, and other miscellaneous belongings, Sasuke suddenly realized he had no idea what he was supposed to do next. He assumed he was supposed to wait for more instructions, so he sat down and waited. A few minutes later, he heard a slight tapping 

at the window. He got up and opened it. A messenger hawk flew in, dropped a slip of paper at his feet and left. The message was short: _'Report to my office immediately_._'_

Five minutes later, Sasuke was in Tsunade's office. He had decided to skip the teleportation this time, considering the circumstances. Fox was already waiting, with his own belongings in a small sack. 'Hmm,' though Sasuke. 'Not much to be taking for an entire year. I'd guess you could only fit about three changes of clothes in there.' However, he was shortly astonished when the Fox reached into his bag and pulled out an entire set of ANBU gear, identical to what he himself was wearing: Black clothing specially treated against fire, comfortable and practical; leg and arm guards of a dull, non-reflective metal; ninja gloves that protected the back of the hand with a metal plate but maximized finger movement; a hooded cloak for cold nights; the bone-white body armor that was as effective as it was light; black ninja sandals designed for heavy wear; black belt and leg pouches for kunai and shuriken; a sheathed ninjatou that would not reflect light on a stealth operation; and finally, the symbol of the ANBU: a blank white porcelain mask.

Fox nodded at the mask and said, "You are allowed to choose the design as long as it is not already taken."

Sasuke scooped up the gear and quickly put it all on except the mask. He stowed his jounin gear in his pack. Although he was still unused to his new clothing, it would create a better impression on the employer to be in uniform. As he adjusted his leg pouch, Tsunade walked over to her desk and picked up a heavy parchment envelope. She turned and handed it to Sasuke, saying, "Use your sharingan to memorize the details in this letter. Then you will leave."

Sasuke activated his sharingan and started to read. He almost leapt out of his skin as he finished reading because the words suddenly changed and the briefing continued. As he read, 

Sasuke skimmed over the material to get the gist, allowing his sharingan to store the details away for future reference. Apparently the mission was to guard a school of magic for a year. In addition, one student in particular needed special protection. Sasuke read something about a prophecy, and a Dark Lord, and quit paying attention. He had enough information: his _sharingan_ would do the rest.

Finishing the final sentence, he felt awed at the letter. Not only did it change itself to keep short while holding so much information, but it also contained a detailed summary of the situation and all the major characters involved. Most mission requests just gave a general outline and left the shinobi to deal with the rest. This client named 'Albus Dumbledore' had thought of everything. For instance, he had learned that the bag the ANBU Commander was carrying was actually enchanted to be larger inside than out. Useful stuff.

After finishing the letter, he turned to Tsunade and asked for the translation charm that had been mentioned. She gave him what looked like a pill and told him to eat it. It was hard, yellow, and tasted of lemons. He just about broke his teeth when he tried to chew it! He swallowed it quickly and turned to his Commander.

Fox nodded his head, and then turned toward the middle of the room. Sasuke realized Fox must have been busy while he was reading the letter because the floor was covered in writing. 'A seal,' he realized. 'But why? What is its purpose?" He turned to Fox with a quizzical look and was rewarded with what he could have sworn was a grin under the mask.

Tsunade explained. "As you have read, Dumbledore's school is not in one of the Five Great Countries nor any of the minor nations surrounding them. In fact, I believe that it is in a dimension slightly removed from this one. This is why Fox is required for the mission: only he has the ability to get to this other dimension. I understand it was almost impossible for 

Dumbledore to send the message, sack and translation charms, much less transport a shinobi with full gear. The seal on the floor is to prevent excess chakra from destroying my office. That's my exclusive privilege. If you are ready, please step inside so I can activate it."

Sasuke and the Fox stepped into the ring and watched as Tsunade infused the circle with her chakra. Sasuke personally felt that such measures were unnecessary. After all, wouldn't all the chakra Fox produced be channeled into the teleportation? His thoughts were cut off as he felt the Fox's chakra for the first time. 'He must have been shielding it!' he realized. His eyes widened at the sheer amount produced. Suddenly, he understood the Hokage's caution: this much chakra could destroy the entire building if it went out of control.

Sasuke felt Fox's chakra increase as it passed the amount required to summon Manda, the snake boss. The air started to take on a visible bluish color as it became saturated with pure chakra. Then, suddenly, the color changed to a red-orange and Sasuke felt the amount of chakra suddenly spike to double the previous level. Alarmed, Sasuke glanced at his companion. He was startled when he saw slitted eyes the color of the chakra glinting in the depths of the mask. Then Fox clapped him on the shoulder, formed a handseal, and teleported them both. Everything went black.

Author's Notes: For those who have already guessed who Fox is, Kudos to you. It's not like it isn't terribly obvious, eh? Sasuke's just a little tad slow to piece the clues together because he's always been such a self-centered idiot.


	2. Leaky Cauldron to Hogwarts Express

Disclaimer: Again, I have never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever… (about ten minutes later…) …ever, ever owned Harry Potter or Naruto. I just put them together to come up with insane, hilarious situations. It's a lot of fun!

Chapter 2: The Leaky Cauldron, a Non-Canine Dog, and the Hogwarts Express

Sasuke awoke the next morning in a bed in a small, dingy room. Blinking sleep away, he noticed Fox in an adjacent bed, fast asleep. 'Well, that's not exactly surprising. With the amount of chakra he used up, I'm surprised he's still alive!' Struck by a sudden thought, Sasuke got out of bed and crept to Fox. He slowly reached his hand out toward the fox mask, curious. He wanted to know who in Konoha could produce such an enormous amount of chakra. He gently felt for the ties of the mask and breathlessly lifted in from the sleeping ANBU. What he saw was……another mask? What the hell? That was like Kakashi-sensei all over again!

Frustrated, Sasuke placed the mask beside the sleeping figure and returned to his own bed. He realized that the second mask was a genjutsu, but he couldn't believe that Fox could have enough chakra left to maintain an illusion. Plus, genjutsu were notoriously difficult to maintain while asleep.

He finally bothered to fully take stock of his surroundings (he had only made sure it was safe before the mystery behind the mask distracted him). He was located in an upper room of what appeared to be a small inn. He grabbed his weapons and headed down the stairs to explore. He hadn't yet created a design for his mask, but he didn't want to show his face. A quick "Henge!" fixed his problem and he walked downstairs with short brown hair and gray eyes.

As he walked into the main room, he stopped in the doorway. Some of the patrons were definitely not normal. His hand flew to his kunai pouch as he was approached by a young man and his dog. Although the man only looked about thirty years old, his hair was already graying. The dog beside him was black and about as big as Akamaru. The man stopped and said in a language that Sasuke understood but did not recognize, "Good day. I believe you are the other ninja Dumbledore hired to protect the school this year. My name is Remus Lupin and I am a friend of Dumbledore. He has sent me with specific instructions to give you. You and your friend arrived last night. He stayed awake just long enough to carry you up to your room."

Sasuke relaxed, but his mind swirled. Fox really was amazing. He had not fallen unconscious during the wild teleportation and managed to carry Sasuke up the stairs before collapsing. While ninjas tended to be physically slim rather than chunky (with Chouji the obvious exception), Sasuke was more than half a foot taller than Fox who had to be exhausted after expending that much chakra. 'What a guy!' he thought to himself.

Sasuke listened intently as Lupin explained Dumbledore's instructions. Apparently Lupin would show them the way to the train station where they would catch a train to the school they were to protect. It all seemed simple enough. Suddenly, someone tapped Sasuke on the shoulder. Startled, he whipped around, only to be faced by a boy of about 11. Sasuke had no idea who this black-haired, brown-eyed boy was. Suddenly, the boy yawned and said, "Good morning, Uchiha-san. I trust you slept well?"

Sasuke glared. The boy grinned and disengaged his henge. With a puff of smoke the boy's image was replaced with that of the Fox. Lupin jumped at the transformation and pulled out a short stick. He pointed it at Fox who merely shrugged and performed another henge. This time 

he appeared as an older redhead with freckles. "Easy there, Lupin-san. I'm only having a little fun with Uchiha-san," he said.

Lupin suddenly relaxed and lowered his stick. No, it was a wand, Sasuke realized. It also occurred to him that Fox must have been under a henge when they arrived last night. Lupin said, "Ah, Fox, it's you. I beg your pardon, but I was not expecting you to look like a Death Eater." It took a moment for Sasuke to retrieve the sharingan memory concerning Death Eaters. Ah yes, a Death Eater was a follower of the Dark Lord from whom they would be protecting the school. Apparently the Death Eaters liked to dress in hooded cloaks with white masks. Sasuke didn't think anyone could confuse the plain masks of the Death Eaters with the animalistic ANBU masks, but he was trained to notice details. These wizards obviously judged before considering the details. That could be bothersome in the future.

Lupin repeated Dumbledore's instructions to Fox, told them to gather their things, and said he would be waiting downstairs. The two ninjas returned to their room and collected their gear. "Whew," said Fox. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to take the bags, too. Hmm, in retrospect, we're probably actually pretty damn lucky we didn't arrive here weaponless and naked." Sasuke glanced at his companion to see if he was joking. Nope. He wasn't. Damn.

Both ANBU returned downstairs to Lupin and his dog and left for the train station. A short while later they were standing in front of a wall between platforms nine and ten. According to Lupin, they were looking for a platform nine-and-three-quarters. Sasuke just wondered if all the people in this world were slightly insane.

Fox was, of all things, sniffing. Sasuke could hear him sniffing the air around the wall. Suddenly the Commander turned to Lupin and said, "This isn't actually a wall, is it?"

Lupin's eyes widened. "How did you know?" he asked.

Fox laughed. "I can smell people on the other side. Usually walls are barriers to scent but I can smell right through this one. The illusion must block sound as well as sight, but whoever constructed it must not have considered smell." He turned back to the wall and walked through it. Sasuke shrugged and followed. He had never heard of a permanent genjutsu before, but he was bound to follow his Commander. As he emerged on the other side of the illusion, he saw a scarlet steam engine surrounded by a crowd of children and their parents.

Lupin and his dog exited the illusion and followed Fox, who was, for some odd reason, moving toward an empty corner shadowed from observers. Fox stopped, turned, and in the blink of an eye was crouched next to the dog with a kunai against its throat. He spoke to the dog softly, saying, "Now, I don't know what kind of technique you used to transform, but you're certainly not a dog. Why don't you quit sneaking around and introduce yourself properly?" Lupin and Sasuke were both shocked, but for completely different reasons: Lupin couldn't believe that Fox could detect an Animagus and Sasuke couldn't believe that he hadn't noticed the transformation jutsu used.

The dog looked into Fox's eyes (blue, despite the henge) and read the danger shining there. Suddenly he turned into a tall, skinny man with messy black hair. He was pale and shaking as he towered over Fox, who still had the kunai to his throat. "My name is Sirius Black," he said. "I did not mean to deceive you, but I cannot be seen in public. I am currently wanted for a murder I did not commit."

Fox returned his kunai to his pouch and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Black-san."

Lupin suddenly broke in: "Wait a moment! How did you know he wasn't a dog? And are you just going to leave him be?"

"Well, I noticed it a while ago but didn't really think anything of it until I was sniffing the barrier. Black-san transforms quite effectively into a canine but still retains a slight human scent," Fox explained. "As for his criminal background, I really couldn't care less. In fact, Uchiha-san here has a criminal background as well. As for murder, well, I guess you could say I've committed my share as well." His blue eyes hardened as he finished and all traces of mirth were gone from his voice. Lupin and Black shivered under the intense glare.

Suddenly, Fox's mood changed. His eyes twinkled and he said cheerily, "Now, Lupin-san, Black-san, I'm afraid we must bid you farewell. Unless I am mistaken, the train is about to leave. It was a pleasure to meet you, but we must be off." He shook hands with both the men and headed for the train.

Lupin and Black both blinked a little and turned to Sasuke. They asked, "Is this normal? Is he always threatening one moment and smiling the next?"

"No idea," replied Sasuke. "I only met him yesterday and have no idea who he truly is. You have seen as much as I. However, I must be off as well, so goodbye." He turned and followed his superior toward the train. Indeed, as they approached, it started to move. Both ninjas picked up their speed a little and leapt onto the roof, eliciting gasps from the crowd.

Once they had exited the station, Fox removed his henge and Sasuke followed suit. Fox left to go explore the top of the train and Sasuke sat down to begin creating a design for his mask. He had already decided to be the Snake. Fox had given his approval, stating that they hadn't had a Snake for several years. After all, ever since Orochimaru attacked at the chuunin exam, nobody really wanted to be associated with the reptiles.

Using the dye Fox had given him, Sasuke started to etch his design into the porcelain. He kept the features crude because only high-ranking ANBU had detailed masks. When he was done, Sasuke was satisfied that the mask was recognizable as a snake and put it on. He then relaxed on the roof of the train and slipped into a light slumber.

He was awakened abruptly when the Fox returned and shook him. "Hurry," said Fox. "There's a tunnel coming!" Sasuke leapt up, instantly alert, grabbed his bag, and copied Fox as they swung off the edge of the train to crash right through the window of the compartment below. While the compartment inhabitants were still in shock at their sudden appearance, the train entered the tunnel, blacking out the light. Sasuke could have sworn he heard a muttered "Double Dynamic Entry!" from his companion and cocked an eyebrow with amusement. Apparently Maito Gai got around a little more than he expected.

As the train exited the tunnel, the light returned and Sasuke could see the seated students gazing at them with faces full of surprise and horror. Fox bowed to them all and said, "I do beg your pardon. There was a tunnel coming and being squished between a roof and a stone is not the most pleasant thing I can think of." Sasuke could tell by the voice that his leader was grinning the whole time.

The students didn't think the situation very amusing, however, as they all leapt to their feet and pulled out their wands. The black-haired boy hissed, "Voldemort!" at Sasuke and the others screamed, "It's You-Know-Who!" Hmm. Not a very encouraging beginning, to be confused with the Dark Lord.

Sasuke quickly raised his hands in the air, protesting, "No! I'm not Lord Voldemort! In fact, we're here to protect you from him." It didn't do much good.

The wizards still aimed their wands at him suspiciously. "Who are you?" they asked.

Fox replied, "Well, now, that's a hard question to answer. You see, we are elite fighters hired by Dumbledore to guard his school against the so-called Dark Lord and all his minions." Sasuke noticed gratefully that he was no longer speaking in an amused tone. Fox continued, "However, we are not at liberty to reveal our names or faces. We have also not met with our client yet so I'm afraid you must restrain your boundless curiosity for some time. Now, if you will excuse us, we must return to our 'seats'." With a short bow, he and Sasuke leapt onto the sill of the now-shattered-window, grabbed the top edge, and swung themselves back onto the roof.

Harry couldn't believe it. He just couldn't. He, Neville, and Luna had been sitting in their compartment while Ron and Hermione made their rounds as prefects. Aside from the small incident with Neville's new cactus that spit Stinksap all over the compartment, everything was normal. Neville was chattering away about nothing important and Luna was reading _The Quibbler _upside-down. Suddenly, the window exploded inward, followed by two humans wearing strange clothing and masks. Harry barely caught a glimpse of them before the train entered a tunnel and threw everything into darkness.

The couple of seconds in the tunnel were some of the longest, scariest seconds of his life. When they finally emerged into daylight, he sighed with relief that the strangers hadn't attacked. His sigh was quickly cut off, however, when he got a good look at the strangers. They were wearing black clothing with white breastplates and lots of metal. Then his eyes travelled to upward their heads and he almost screamed.

The first person had blond hair down to the shoulders and was wearing a mask with a fox face on it. The fox looked really evil and it seemed to be laughing directly at Harry. However, it was nothing compared to the other. The second person who came through the window was tall, 

black-haired, and wore a snake mask. The features were crude, though carefully designed. The first thought that jumped to his mind was 'Voldemort!'

Accordingly, Harry sat up, prepared to confront his archenemy who had dared to appear on the Hogwarts Express. Neville and Luna followed suit, their faces full of shock and horror. The thought crossed Harry's mind that Voldemort didn't need a mask to look like a snake and Death Eater masks didn't look like animals, but he pushed it away. As Harry sat there, still stunned, the two men suddenly shared a glance.

The short, blond one turned to the three students, bowed ('What the hell?' thought Harry) and said, laughingly, "I do beg your pardon. There was a tunnel coming and being squished between a roof and a stone is not the most pleasant thing I can think of."

Now, that was certainly not the threat Harry was expecting to hear from a Death Eater. However, his shock and terror left no room for rational thought and all he could think of was Voldemort. He turned to the snake-masked one and said, "Voldemort!" The man with the snake mask immediately lifted his hands and started protesting that he wasn't You-Know-Who. The voice Harry heard was nothing like the one that had been haunting his dreams ever since Voldemort's resurrection, so he relaxed slightly. He still had his suspicions, however, and demanded to know who they were.

The man in the fox mask answered the question seriously, mentioning something about Dumbledore hiring them. Harry finally relaxed upon hearing the headmaster's name. However, as he and his friends watched in astonishment as the strangers leapt out of the window and swung back onto the roof, he realized he still had no idea who or what they really were.

When Ron and Hermione joined the compartment later, Neville tried to explain what had happened and why the window was shattered. Hermione repaired the window, but neither she 

nor Ron could make any sense of what Neville was saying. You-Know-Who was here, but didn't attack? Then he said he was hired by Dumbledore? It didn't make any sense. And when they turned to Harry for confirmation, he just shook his head, almost as confused as they were. The rest of the train ride passed in silence.


	3. Shinobi and Magic Don't Mix So Well

Disclaimer: Much as I would like, I own no part of either Harry Potter or Naruto. sob

Chapter 3: Shinobi and Magic Don't Mix So Well….

When the train stopped, the Fox and the Snake leapt off the roof and hurried up to the castle before more people could see them and accuse them of anything dastardly. The entered the castle and bowed as they encountered a stern-looking witch. Her eyes widened as they saw Sasuke's mask, but she must have been told to expect them and she merely nodded and gestured for them to follow.

Going through the castle, Sasuke was astonished. He had never encountered a place with ghosts, moving paintings, and creaking suits of armor. A covert glance at Fox told him absolutely nothing, of course, as ANBU were renowned for hiding emotions. Besides, it's always hard to tell what someone is thinking when all you can see is their hair. The witch stopped in front of an ugly gargoyle and said, "Lemon drop." Oh, so that's what the translation pill was.

The gargoyle moved aside and the witch and the ninjas were carried up the moving staircase that it had guarded. The Fox stopped in front of the door at the top and said, "I would like to enter alone for now. Please wait for me here." Sasuke nodded, but could see that the witch didn't like the idea. However, she remained silent and allowed him to enter the room.

Sasuke heard some indistinct sounds from behind the door for a few minutes when suddenly he heard the "pop!" that always accompanied a henge no jutsu, a moment of silence, then peals of laughter were easily audible. Sasuke barely caught the second "pop!" as the jutsu was released. Suddenly the door opened and Fox beckoned them to enter.

Both Fox and the other man in the room were laughing their heads off. Sasuke was very curious about what was so funny, but he realized he wasn't about to get an answer. The laughing old man behind the desk introduced himself as Albus Dumbledore, their client. Then he added, "And I must say that I am looking forward to having you here."

Fox turned to him and bowed. He said, "Thank you. I must also confess that it will be a pleasure working for you. Your reaction was most enjoyable. Unlike most of the old men I have encountered in the past, I believe I can respect your morals." He burst into more laughter, joined by Dumbledore.

Dumbledore said, "Ah, I do not believe I have ever seen anything like that. This will certainly be a pleasurable year." Then he turned to Sasuke and became serious. "Although I understand it is not common practice among your culture, I would appreciate it if you would allow me to see your face. Unfortunately, we live in troubled times at the moment and trust is all too easily broken. I have already seen your partner's face."

Sasuke was a little jealous that this old man had seen Fox's face after being introduced only moments before, but understood the caution. Once they left, Dumbledore would be no risk to the identity of the ANBU Commander. Sasuke, on the other hand, lived in the same village and might let something slip, however unintentionally. He sighed a little and removed his mask. The witch who had followed him into the room gasped. "Dumbledore! How can you hire children? He cannot be more than 16 years old?"

Dumbledore merely twiddled his thumbs and stared at the ceiling, leaving the shinobi to explain. Fox nodded and Sasuke said, "Actually, I am only 14 years old. In our culture, age is not as important a factor as maturity and ability."

Fox backed him up by saying, "Yes, and I myself am only 15 years old. However, age means very little in my experience. I have seen seven-year-olds with more bravery and morality than 50-year-olds." Then he muttered something sounding suspiciously like "Ero-sennin" under his breath.

Well, there was a little bit of unexpected information about Fox's true identity. Now that Sasuke knew that the Fox was only a year older than he was, he could postulate that he had graduated from the Academy about one to three years before Sasuke himself. After all, Fox was obviously a very powerful ninja, but even so it was doubtful he had graduated very much younger than the Uchiha genius.

At that point, Dumbledore interrupted the conversation by commenting that the students were arriving. He said, "Minerva, would you be so good as to greet the first years as they arrive. Fox, Snake, I request your presence in the Great Hall." The two shinobi bowed and followed the old wizard out the office.

Sasuke had to admit he was pretty impressed with the ceiling of the Great Hall. The size of the room was not nearly as impressive as the enchantment on the roof. Dumbledore told them they could make themselves comfortable and Sasuke followed the Fox as he strode up a wall and sat on a small window ledge near the roof from which they had an excellent tactical view of the entire room. Dumbledore's eyes widened as he watched the ninja calmly walking on a vertical wall as if it were flat ground, then his eyes twinkled and he smiled. Truly, this would be an interesting year.

As students entered the Great Hall, Sasuke was bored. He assumed there would be all kinds of speeches and stuff before they would be allowed to assume their guard duties. However, he 

didn't expect there to be a singing hat. When he heard the hat start singing about the system of the school and how it was founded and stuff like that, he almost burst out laughing. Almost, but not quite. After all, he was an Uchiha and an ANBU-in-training.

After the hat was done telling the kids where to go, Dumbledore stood up and started introducing new teachers and rules and the like. Suddenly he was interrupted by a new teacher who looked like a toad. When Sasuke mentioned this to Fox, he was rewarded with a whispered "Don't insult the toads" and a small chuckle.

Finally, the new witch finished her boring speech that had lasted about half an hour when all she needed to say was "I don't support Dumbledore." She sat down as unenthusiastic applause came from the students. Dumbledore stood again. Apparently he had said all he usually did, because the older students started to whisper among themselves and shoot questioning looks at the old man. However, they all quieted as Dumbledore began to speak in a serious voice.

Dumbledore glanced around the room and began. "Now, my friends, as events of the previous year," here he got an extremely nasty glare from the toad-witch, "have increased the danger to the wizarding world, I have taken the liberty of calling in some additional help to enhance the security of the school. I must warn you, that although there are only two of them, they are not to be taken lightly. They are trained in the ways of battle, death, and torture and will not hesitate to kill you painfully if you appear to be a threat to the safety of my school. Therefore, I must caution you to be courteous to them at all times and not provoke them or disobey curfew. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great honor and privilege to present to you two visitors from Konohagakure, the Hidden Village of the Leaf. Please welcome the shinobi of Konoha!"

The hall burst into rather muted applause as the students craned their necks to see these dangerous new guards. Fox snorted and leapt down from his perch with Sasuke a fraction of a second behind. Everyone in the room except Dumbledore gasped in horror as they fell thirty feet or more. The ninja merely landed gracefully, softly, and silently in front of the teachers' table and bowed, first to Dumbledore and the teachers, then to the student body.

Dumbledore continued as though nothing had happened. "Now, in accordance with their traditions, their faces and identities will be kept secret unless they choose otherwise. They will be known merely as Fox and Snake. I must issue one last warning: I have the suspicion that any attempt to remove a mask will be met with hostility."

Seeing that the students were shocked at their sudden appearance, but at the same time curious, the Fox laughed, went down on one knee, and formed a complicated series of handseals at blinding speed that Sasuke couldn't follow without his sharingan. Fox then thrust his palms against the floor of the Great Hall, saying, "Mokuton: Mori no seibutsu!" (Wood element: life of the forest)

Sasuke's eyebrows shot up to his hair under the mask. A rumble ran through the hall and the flagstones near the walls began to buckle and shift. As the crowd watched in astonishment, trees pushed their way up through the floor, growing at an impossible rate. Before anyone could do more than gasp, huge trees ringed the entire hall. At this casual display of power, even Dumbledore was visibly shocked. Sasuke himself had a few questions to ask the Fox once they were somewhere private.

Fox rose, turned back to Dumbledore, and bowed again. Sasuke followed suit, imitating his superior. In unison, the two ninjas formed a handseal and disappeared in a puff of smoke, eliciting yet another round of gasps from the crowd. Students jumped to their feet to see where 

the shinobi had disappeared to, but they were nowhere to be seen. Other students and a few teachers gazed in awe at the trees surrounding them.

Ron had almost fainted when he saw the shinobi leap down from the high window; Hermione had almost fainted when the two strangers teleported out of the Great Hall; and Harry wondered what kind of person could cause trees to grow right through a stone floor at such a terrific rate. He turned to his pale friends and said, "They're the one who were on the train. I'm sure of it. They just swung in through the window and then back out."

Hermione was still somewhat in shock. "But….How?...They Apparated….Impossible….How?"

Ron's stuttered remarks went more along the lines of: "They jumped from the ceiling! Without brooms! And the Fox guy didn't even use a wand!"

Harry just shook his head, baffled, and started to eat as the dishes filled themselves.


	4. Meet the Fox

Disclaimer: Yet again, I own nothing concerning Harry Potter or Naruto besides a few HP books. I don't even have any plushies 

Chapter 4: Meet the Fox

Sasuke could tell that the Fox was amused at the reaction they had gotten in the Great Hall: his shoulders were shaking with silent laughter and he was practically skipping. Even the Uchiha had to admit that the complete shock on the kids' faces was pretty funny. It was excusable in the new students, but the older ones who had been around magic for a while should have been more accepting. Then again, they were probably breaking every rule of magic in the book judging by Dumbledore's reaction.

"Excuse me, taichou-sama, but I would like to ask you a question," said Sasuke, nervously. After all, the question he was about to ask was rather personal and could be construed as an attempt to weed out the ANBU's identity. He was therefore rather shocked at the Fox's response.

Fox stopped dead in his tracks, stopped laughing, and turned to Sasuke. "First of all," he said. "You will stop calling me 'taichou-sama'. It makes me feel like an old man. 'Fox-san', 'Fox-kun', or, hell, even just plain 'Fox' will be perfectly sufficient or you will shortly find a kunai rammed up your ass. And as to your question: No, I am in no way related to the Shodaime Hokage. Damn, that would mean I'd be related to Tsunade-obaa-chan!" He shuddered at the thought, then started walking again, leaving a very confused Sasuke to follow.

'How did he know what I was going to ask? And more importantly, how can he use the bloodline limit of the First if he's not related to him? By answering my question he's created a half a dozen more,' thought Sasuke. 'And his personality; I just don't understand it. First he's 

deadly serious, then he's laughing fit to burst, then suddenly he's serious again. Truly a strange character.'

Sasuke was so involved in his thoughts that he hardly noticed when they reached Dumbledore's office again. Fox gave the password and entered the room. Dumbledore was obviously expecting them. His eyes twinkled and he said, "I must confess I was impressed at your little display downstairs. It certainly created an impression on the students and staff. However, although Professor Sprout loves the trees very much, I'm afraid they will be in the way. Would you be so kind as to remove them?"

"Not a problem," said the Fox, and Sasuke could feel him withdrawing his chakra from the Great Hall. Funny: Sasuke hadn't even realized Fox had kept the connection open until he used it to channel his chakra again. The Fox continued, "They are already gone. I imagine you can believe it is a little exhausting to keep a thousand years' worth of growth where it shouldn't be." Although he made it sound like he was tired, Sasuke could tell the Fox was feeling very little actual fatigue.

Dumbledore smiled. "Excellent. Now all that's left is to show you to your rooms. As Harry Potter ('Who? Oh yeah, the special boy.') is a member of Gryffindor house, I believe it would be advantageous to quarter you in the nearby vicinity. Therefore, I have arranged for you to stay in a newly-created room in Gryffindor tower. You will find at adjacent to the common room. That will be all."

The Fox and the Snake bowed to their current employer, formed a seal, and teleported away. They already knew where Gryffindor tower was from the letter sent to _Konoha_, so they had no problem getting there. At least, Fox didn't. Sasuke was still a little sketchy with his 

teleportation. Luckily, Fox grabbed his arm as they disappeared and guided him to the right room.

They appeared in the middle of a crowd of stunned Gryffindors. The blatant shock on their faces was quite enjoyable. In fact, Sasuke decided he had already had more fun during this one day than he got in a month back at home. Fox must have been amused at the confusion written all around them because his mild voice carried an undercurrent of laughter as he blinked, saluted, and said, "Maa, maa, are we late? You see, first there was this old lady who needed help with her groceries, then a mad bull came charging down the hall, and then…"

The perfect imitation of Kakashi was just too much. Sasuke burst out laughing. Fox gave him an extremely strange look, then walked over to two tall, red-haired identical twins. He asked, "Could one of you please kill me now? I think the world's about to end and I want to die surprised. Snake-kun _never_ laughs…"

During this whole exchange, the entire common room was deathly quiet. Suddenly, people started to snicker. It struck Sasuke that Fox was a better manipulator than he had imagined. The entire Kakashi-rendition was designed to reduce tension. Luckily, it seemed Sasuke had done exactly the right thing, and now the ice was definitely broken. Everyone started yelling and shouting questions at the shinobi all at the same time.

Beating a quick retreat, the Fox and the Snake retreated into their assigned room for some peace and quiet. However, the crowd right outside the door was still speculating in loud, obnoxious voices. Fox turned to Sasuke and said, "I'll take the patrol tonight. You stay here and get a little sleep. I'll also see if I can do something about the noise." He grabbed a scroll and pen, wrote a short message, and headed out the door.

As he exiting into the common room, he was immediately accosted by dozens of students with hundreds of questions which ranged from "Why do you wear masks?" to "How did you Apparate in Hogwarts?" Sighing, he looked for someone with authority. He spotted an official-looking pin on the uniforms of two students, one a tall red-headed boy and the other a bushy-haired girl, and walked over to them.

Hermione and Ron were trying to establish a little order in the midst of the chaos as the ANBU headed in their direction. As prefects, it was their duty to stand their ground and hear what he had to say. He merely said, "I am leaving to inspect the grounds. Please read this message aloud," and handed them a small scroll. He bowed shortly, then walked over to the window, opened it, and leapt outside. Many students gasped in horror and a few screamed: Gryffindor tower was over a hundred meters tall! However, as they crowded around the window, they saw the ninja land gracefully on the lawn and walk away.

Hermione felt all eyes on her as she unfurled the message and read:

"Dear Gryffindor Tower,

"Unfortunately, neither Snake-kun nor I have any intention of revealing our secrets or spilling our guts to you tonight. However, I feel I must warn you that Snake-kun has informed me he has absolutely no compunctions against spilling _your_ guts if you do not immediately cease to create an infernal racket. Have a good night!"

The message was signed with a simple but readily recognizable line drawing of a fox. Everybody was quiet for a few minutes, then realizing that the shinobi would not be returning to answer questions, they all headed to bed, discussing the exciting new events at Hogwarts among themselves.

Soon, only Ron, Harry and Hermione were left in the common room. They were still speculating in soft voices about the abilities of the ninja. They all agreed that Apparating within the Hogwarts grounds was impossible, as was dropping lightly from a hundred-meter window and walking away. Hermione had other concerns, though.

"I don't understand the note. It's obviously a thinly-veiled threat, but at the same time, it's written very politely. It's almost like Fox is concerned that Snake might do something and can't stop him." She snapped her fingers. "Maybe that's it! I bet Snake has authority over Fox, which would explain why he sent him out to guard on the first night while he himself gets to sleep," Hermione finished.

After a little thought, Ron and Harry decided that fit. However, they still didn't know much about the strangers themselves. It seemed that Snake was the serious type and Fox was always laughing. A little discussion convinced them to sneak after the ninja and try to discover some more about Fox. Harry fetched his Invisibility Cloak and they crept out of the tower.

After wandering down a few fruitless halls, Harry pulled out the Marauders' Map. He searched the castle floor plan for unfamiliar names. In the new room adjacent to the Gryffindor common room, he found a dot labeled "Uchiha Sasuke". Obviously that was Snake's name. However, after scanning the map several times, none of the three students could find the other guard. They decided he must have gone to Hogsmeade or something and headed back to Gryffindor tower, disappointed.

Suddenly, as they turned a corner, they heard a sharp whizzing sound and several daggers flew toward them. Before they could react, the daggers had pierced the cloak, ripped it off them, and pinned it to the far wall. They looked around wildly, searching for the source of the attack. 

With a stifled shriek, Hermione spotted the blond guard, upside-down, dangling off the ceiling by the soles of his feet.

With a quick, fluid movement, the ninja detached from the ceiling and flipped onto the floor. He glided over to the petrified trio and asked, "Now, what kind of adventure brings you three out into the halls on a night like this?" A surreptitious glance at the Marauders' Map showed Harry a completely blank space in front of their own dots.

Ron and Hermione started stammering about just being on a walk, but Harry could see that the ninja wasn't buying it. He gritted his teeth, took a deep breath, and overrode the other two, saying, "We were looking for you. We have some questions to ask."

The guard merely nodded as though he had expected something like that, then turned and walked to the wall where the Invisibility Cloak was still pinned. He removed the kunai, and inspected the cloak for tears. There weren't any. He handed the cloak to Harry and commented, "That's a nice cloak. One of the best invisibility genjutsu I have ever seen."

Hermione interrupted, "What's a genjutsu? And how did you know we were there? You couldn't see us!"

The Fox chuckled and said, "No, I couldn't see you, but I wouldn't be much of a ninja if I relied only on vision, now would I? Where I come from, anyone who relies solely on visual detection usually lives a short, painful life. I not only smelled you coming around the corner, but also heard your not-so-subtle footsteps and the swish of clothing. I suggest you learn a little basic stealth if you intend to continue your nighttime wanderings."

Hermione said petulantly, "You ignored my first question! What's a genjutsu?"

"An illusionary technique designed to confuse and distract the enemy long enough to formulate an effective attack strategy."

"Oh," said Hermione. "But how did you cast that spell in the Great Hall without a wand? And how did you jump out of the tower window without being hurt? How can you Apparate in Hogwarts?"

The Fox laughed and said, "What is this, a press conference? Have you forgotten Dumbledore-sama's warning? Although he was mostly joking, I would not have hesitated to attack to kill if I had not recognized you under the cloak. I suggest you stop your nighttime strolls, for your own sake. Snake-kun might not recognize you when he's on duty."

Without thinking, Ron blurted out, "Snake-kun? You mean Uchiha Sasuke?"

In a blur of motion, Fox moved. Before Harry could even blink, Fox had Ron pinned to the wall with his left hand on Ron's right shoulder. Obviously no longer amused nor in a good mood, Fox hissed, "How do you know that name?"

Ron stammered something, then yelped in pain as the hand on his shoulder tightened. He tried to break free, but Fox's grip was too strong. Fox hissed again with annoyance, then asked again, "How do you know his name? Answer now or die." Harry watched, helplessly, as Fox opened his right hand, palm up. Hermione suddenly gasped in horror. Harry couldn't understand why until he looked at the space above the empty hand. He watched in astonishment as raw blue energy coalesced and started to swirl. Soon there was a madly whirling ball of energy about 2 inches in diameter.

Hermione gathered her wits and said, "It was an accident! We saw it on the Marauders' Map."

"What is that?" asked the Fox, without turning away from Ron.

"This," said Harry. He help up the map and bravely moved closer to the ninja. The Fox abruptly let go of Ron, turned, and snatched the map out of Harry's hand. He studied it for a little while. Then he looked up at Harry.

"Well," he said. "I am quite impressed. Whoever made this certainly knew what he was doing. The chakradetection jutsu is top-notch. However, you won't find me on it. Well, I suppose it would be pretty pointless to try to make you forget Uchiha-san's name while you still have this, so I will settle with your promise. You are not to allow anyone to learn his name unless you receive permission from him or me, understand?"

The three students nodded, relieved. However, Harry noticed that Fox still had the ball of blue energy in his hand. He pointed at it and asked, "What's that?"

Fox looked at his hand as though he had forgotten it altogether. "Oh this," he said. "It's known as a _chibi rasengan_. In you language, that would be 'baby spiraling sphere'."

"But what _is_ it?" asked Hermione.

"Chakra."

"What's _that_?"

Fox paused for a moment. "I keep forgetting you know nothing of our techniques. Chakrais our equivalent of your 'magic'. In fact, magic is actually a diffuse form of chakrathat is channeled and amplified through your wands."

Hermione was fascinated. "So, that's pure magic?" she asked.

"In a way, yes," replied Fox. "However, as it is much more highly concentrated than your form, it's incredibly destructive. Allow me to demonstrate." He turned to the wall next to Ron's head and thrust his chakra-bearing hand directly into the stone. Harry couldn't believe it when he 

saw a good portion of the wall crack and the chibi rasenganactually went almost all the way through.

Fox turned back to the awe-struck trio and Harry could swear he was grinning. "I hope you never have to see what that does to a human's stomach," he said. "It's not very pleasant to look at and quite messy. However, it is also extremely effective. Now, I think it's time you went off to bed. Sweet dreams!" He laughed, arranged his hands in a specific way, and disappeared in a puff of smoke like he had in the Great Hall.

Stunned, Harry, Ron and Hermione automatically started toward Gryffindor tower. Along the way, they started to digest what had just happened. Ron was the first to recover and said, "He said that was a '_baby_ spiraling sphere'! What do you think the real one's like? I'll bet even Dumbledore couldn't do something like that!"

Hermione just shook her head. She was flabbergasted by the idea of visualized magic and disconcerted. "Did you hear what he said? That our magic is a diffuse form of his chakra? Incredible! He doesn't need a wand because he has enough magic that it doesn't need to be channeled."

Harry wasn't concerned with magical theory or destroyed walls. What he was worried about was the Fox's reaction to what Ron had said. Most disturbing was the display of power and the not-so-subtle threat attached. Harry decided that the ninja was deadly serious about what that kind of power could do to a human body and that the shinobi was also perfectly prepared to use it against Ron. The wizards and the witch headed to bed, not looking forward to trying to get to sleep.


End file.
